Beyond Shimmering
by Basmathgirl
Summary: A weirdly familiar man appeared in her life; bringing another dimension to Donna's life. This is the sequel to The Shimmering, where they decide to try and make a life together. Rating changed to M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Characters:** Donna/TenII(aka Benedict), Sylvia, Wilf

**Warning:** Usage of mild swear words.

**Summary:** A weirdly familiar man appeared in her life; bringing another dimension to Donna's life. This is the sequel to The Shimmering, where they decide to try and make a life together.

**Disclaimer:** I once thought I owned these characters; and then I forgot. The BBC also owns Del boy and Rodney; they get all the best characters!

**A/N:** I'd better point out that Pete Tong is Cockney rhyming slang for 'wrong'.

**A/N2:** You've probably long forgotten this tale; and I honestly can't think how I can change this part, so here it is! Perhaps I'll now get it finished…

* * *

><p><strong>Beyond Shimmering<strong>

**Part 1  
><strong>

.

Benedict lay back on the bed feeling _very_ happy! He'd achieved every single goal he'd set himself numerous months ago. He had finally worked out to use the blueprints for the Torchwood dimensional cannon to formulate a vortex manipulator, working in secret every available moment as he tried not to fall asleep at his desk. Part of him missed that desk – stupid sentimentality! He didn't miss fighting off unwanted advances, stern words shouted in his face, threats of slaps, or that continuous drone about how he wasn't the Doctor. "No kidding?" he'd wanted to reply as sarcastically as he could.

But here, here was heaven in comparison. Here contained Donna for a start, here wasn't that awful inability to live up to a legend, and here didn't mean being quizzed to within an inch of your life! Okay, some of the time it did, but in a good way.

Donna had snuck immediately back in to see him once Sylvia had disappeared downstairs, and kissed him again. Ooh it was good! She'd pinned him on the bed, taking his breath away with her passion, and promised to return with some clothing for him. Personally he was hoping for a non-clothing option to be offered, but he didn't get it.

When she'd returned later with some of Wilf's clothes they'd both had a good laugh. The trousers had been short in the leg and too wide around the waist. The sweatshirt made him look as though he was a kid dressed in his dad's things, but at least the socks were okay. Wilf had had a good giggle too when Benedict had finally managed to get downstairs to eat breakfast; it was the first morning of many mornings where they'd all laugh together.

"Hello Doctor! I mean… John Smith. Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" Wilf had greeted Benedict when he first saw him hovering anxiously in the kitchen. "Once you've sorted yourself out some proper clothes of course."

"Oh! I'm not him," Benedict had answered, deeply embarrassed. "And these…" He had plucked pathetically at his sweatshirt, clearly lost for words.

"Gramps, this is Benedict," Donna formally introduced them. "He's a close relative of the Doctor's."

"Close? I'd say they share the same shoes," Wilf chuckled. "Come on, who is he really?"

Donna and Benedict felt duty-bound to give a full explanation of the metacrisis, and how being together had stabilised her mind, both their minds. Wilf took it all quite well, considering. And he was exceptionally pleased Donna got to be with the Doctor, in a way; though he kept that snippet to himself. He had a feeling this Benedict wouldn't welcome that thought.

Wilf did a happy dance. "As long as my girl is happy, you'll be fine," he had declared shaking Benedict's hand. "But if you fancy coming to my astronomy club one night you'll be very welcome."

As soon as he could Benedict pulled Donna to one side to embrace her. "Hello fiancée," he whispered as he nuzzled her ear. "I love you." She had squeezed him so tightly in reply he thought the breath would be totally knocked out of him!

"Benedict! Put her down!" Sylvia barked at him, causing him to jump.

He felt it best to release Donna for the time being as Sylvia was taking great delight in carefully ironing his suit, and he didn't want to distract her too much. In fact he couldn't wait to wear his suit again; he wasn't a sweatshirt sort of bloke.

"Here you go!" Sylvia beamed at him as she held up his squeaky clean suit and proudly passed him the hanger. "Much better."

"I'll say!" he readily agreed. "I want to get back to being me." He went to kiss Sylvia on the cheek in gratitude, and she slightly balked at the action before hesitantly letting him do it. There was even a smile to go with it, he was pleased to note. One up on the Doctor then!

As he headed upstairs he was pleased to note that Sylvia had thrust a pile of clean clothes into Donna's arms, so she trudged up the stairs behind him. "Donna!" he whispered once they got onto the landing. "Care to help me adjust my clothing?" He gave her a saucy eyebrow waggle.

"Give me a minute," she whispered back, giving the flight of stairs a worried glance. But Sylvia was obviously staying downstairs for the time being.

He'd only got as far as stripping off the sweatshirt and unfastening the buckle around his waist when Donna burst in on him. "You're keen!" he said as he grinned wolfishly at her.

"Am I too late for the show? I see I got here in time for the previews," she smirked. She sauntered over to him as the trousers dropped to the floor. "Oh dear! You appear to have lost something," she cooed, reaching out to smooth her hands over his torso. "I didn't tell you how much I like your body, did I?"

"In fairness, I didn't tell you how much I love yours," he replied, as his breathing got away from him. "And you've seen it all before."

"True; but you didn't look this good back then. You've toned up," she said. She leered at him, still caressing his body.

"I had to do something with my time when I was avoiding falling asleep at my desk," he admitted. "I kept thinking of doing this…" He bent forward and pressed his lips lightly against hers. "…and some of this…" He pressed more firmly. "…and definitely some of this." He smoothed his tongue over her lips, groaning when they parted to let him seek out her taste. He deepened their kisses, pulling her into his arms and against his burgeoning body.

_Ooh! You feel good,_ she encouraged him. _Should we be doing this with Mum so near?_

_I'm willing to risk it if you are, _he replied. _Any moment now I won't care if she catches us or not. I need you so much! Have you any idea how much I've missed you?_

_We've only been downstairs, you prawn!_

_You know I don't mean like that! I was lonely without you. I can think so clearly when I'm with you._

_Funnily enough, so can I! _she laughed in his mind. _You know that old cliché of 'you complete me'? Well, you might actually make it true!_ She broke from their kissing briefly. "We need to consciously do this bit," she pointed out.

"You mean the removing part?" He blushed. "Thank goodness your contraceptive shot the Doctor gave you is still in date."

She frowned at him. "I've always wondered why he insisted he should give it to me. I mean, it wasn't as if I really was going to grab the nearest available man and marry him."

"He was just playing it safe," Benedict replied, thankful that they weren't telepathically connected at that moment. "He… he was worried about your wellbeing."

"That sort of implies he was expecting me to be sexually assaulted or something," she pondered.

"Yeah; or something," he agreed. "Come on, let's not think about him; we have other business to attend to." He wriggled against her to remind her exactly what sort of business he had in mind. "May I do the honours?" he shyly asked as his hands landed on the buttons of her blouse; delighted to get her nod of agreement.

"Donna? What are you doing up there?" Sylvia yelled up the stairs.

"Nothing!" Donna automatically shouted back, almost deafening Benedict in the process.

"Then come and do nothing down here!" Sylvia yelled at her again.

"She's going to come up here. Quick!" Donna hastily did up her blouse as Benedict tugged on his clean trousers.

"Is it always this exciting around here?" he asked. "I hadn't expected to risk my life in this way."

"Get used to it," Donna remarked. "Unless you fancy living a little dangerously?" She wove her arms around him, halting his attempts to do up his shirt buttons.

"Donna! I'd like to be still alive for our wedding. After that I'll be all yours to do with as you please." He kissed her mouth softly.

"Is that a promise?" She kissed him delicately back.

_I'd say it was a fact,_ he told her as they heard footsteps on the stairs and the door handle being turned.

"Are you two at it again? You're like bloody rabbits!" Sylvia exclaimed. "Come on; we've got a wedding to organise."

Donna meekly followed her downstairs. She went to the bureau to pull out a writing pad, grabbed a pen off the mantelpiece and sat down at the dining table. "Well…. Where shall we start this time? Wedding venue I suppose," she said to Sylvia. "Ah! Hello, Sunshine!" she greeted Benedict as he sat down next to her. "Any particular thoughts?"

"Nope; apart from somewhere that'll let us get married as soon as possible." He grinned broadly at her.

"Right," she said and began to scribble on the pad. "Anywhere within the next month that'll take us."

"You can use your old wedding dress if you want; I thought you looked lovely in it," he offered.

"I'm supposed to wear something you've never seen!" she chided him. "Though technically it wasn't you…"

"True. It is only a memory after all," he pondered. "I won't mind because you will look beautiful, and I'll only worry if you don't turn up."

"You are sweet!" she crooned and leant over to kiss his cheek. "Next topic is paperwork. Have you actually got a birth certificate?"

"Do be serious!" he whined. "I don't think you both rushed down to the Registrar's office when I came into being somehow."

"Hmm; fake a birth certificate on the computer later." She scribbled some more. "I think the pair of us ought to have no problem hacking in and getting one of them."

"Can we have a big gooey cake?" he asked excitedly. "With a teeny bride and groom on the top? And can it be chocolate cake rather than that heavy stuff they're normally made of?" He looked at her hopefully.

"Benedict, you don't have chocolate cake for your wedding," Sylvia softly pointed out. "It isn't as though it's your birthday."

He pouted at her. "But I want a chocolate wedding cake! It's _my_ wedding!"

"We'll get you a chocolate cake, all to yourself," Donna promised him as she took hold of his hand. "You only get married once."

Sylvia snorted in reply. "Don't you mean most people only get married once?"

"Did you have to bring that up, Mum? It wasn't my fault that wedding went Pete Tong. And if it weren't for that happening I'd never have met the Doctor and then Benedict." She turned to smile lovingly at him. "The most wonderful man in the world."

"All this mush isn't getting the job done!" Sylvia griped as the couple in front of her swooned over each other. "Save it for the honeymoon."

"Oh, we need a honeymoon!" Donna exclaimed. "With our finances we'll be pitching a tent on Gramps' allotment."

Benedict snuck an arm around her. "As long as we're together and married I won't care where we honeymoon."

"You could always bunk in with some church mice since you're as poor as them," Sylvia offered.

"Thanks for that, Mum," Donna laughed. "We won't always be poor."

"Yeah, I know! This time next year you'll be millionaires!" she scoffed. "Just like Del boy and Rodney."

"You never know; we might get lucky like they did," Benedict mused. "Or I could use some insider knowledge." He tapped his temple in demonstration.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you!" Donna crowed; and kissed his cheek again. He placed a hand on her jaw to place a kiss her lips.

Sylvia noisily cleared her throat. "We've got a wedding to organise here, remember? You two will have plenty of time to do all that later." She appeared phased, but secretly she was storing it all up to boast about to her friends at the next Wednesday Girls meeting. She was going to have a field day describing Benedict and his enthusiasm for her Donna.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning:** There was an implied sex scene here, but hopefully I have edited it sufficiently out now to line up with the guidelines.

**A/N:** There is a faint reference to The Magic Roundabout here that some of you might recognise.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2<strong>

.

It took a while, but between them Benedict and Donna soon had all necessary paperwork suitably 'faked', as they worked their way through the wedding planning list. With a little jiggery pokery, helped by the fact Benedict had concocted a working version of a sonic screwdriver; he had appeared on official records.

As it turned out, the Registry Office had a vacancy 35 days later. Firmly booked once they flashed their birth certificates and assured the woman they didn't care what day of the week or what time was available. Benedict was over the moon that he was one more step closer to his dream.

"We'd better work on getting you a job now, eh?" Donna had smiled up at him as they left the building. "Since you seem to be getting your wish for a wedding as soon as legally possible."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Are you suggesting you're not so keen yourself? Because I don't believe you, Donna Noble!"

"Oh yeah, Benedict Noble! Shows how much you know me then," she teased while tipping her lips up closer to his.

He eagerly took the invite to renew their connection, taking possession of her mouth.

* * *

><p>The wedding planning resumed that evening when Sylvia got home from work. She was pleased to see that Benedict had chipped in with the household chores and had prepared dinner; and it was pretty decent too! "Thank you, Benedict; that was lovely!" she enthused.<p>

Benedict had immediately blushed. "I enjoy cooking properly as I never had the chance before. I lived on Pot Noodles and work back in..." His voice petered out as a morose mood settled on him.

"It's all over now, love," Donna softly told him, sensing his deep-seated unhappiness about his experience in the Alternative Universe.

He swallowed slowly, feeling her calm his frazzled nerves as he quelled the memories that had surged into his mind. "I'm so glad I found you," he replied. "I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't."

"Don't think about it," she suggested, throwing her arms around him in desperation. They shared a tender kiss, ever mindful that Sylvia was sitting there.

"Come on you two, this won't get the baby bathed," she chided them in order to refocus their attention.

"Baby?" Benedict's face was a picture of horrified bewilderment.

"There's no baby, you prawn!" Donna soothed him. "We have to sort out what you are wearing for the wedding."

He heaved a sigh of relief. "You had me worried we'd jumped the gun then! I thought we'd only…" The thought brought on a sudden blush of embarrassment as he pondered their near miss that second day. "The erm… whatever suit you think looks nicest on me will do."

Donna took the opportunity to brush an invisible piece of lint from his shoulder. "We'll get you a new dark suit for the wedding. I want my husband to look ultra-hot," she explained.

"Then I'll do my best to make you proud," he told her, capturing her hand and pressing light kisses on her fingers.

She smirked happily at him. "Prawn! You already do that. Now you've got yourself an agency job we can consider saving for our own place in next to no time."

"Will there be any problem with you getting time off, Benny?" asked Sylvia.

"No, I've already sorted that out; and the agency insisted I take a week off," he said. "I'm not sure we can afford that."

"We'll have a proper honeymoon eventually," Donna told him as she stroked his sideburn lovingly. "Perhaps we can have two days on our own?"

So they agreed to go through their finances together to check how long they could take off. In the end it was decided they'd have two days in the house alone while Sylvia and Wilf visited relatives.

* * *

><p>"Do you mind I'm not earning us enough money yet?" Benedict hesitantly asked Donna as they nestled up together on the sofa later that evening. "I want to do so fairly and squarely without resorting to using 'Lordy' knowledge." He tapped his head in emphasis.<p>

"Of course not!" she responded. "It means far more when we achieve something on our own. And I know that you can be whatever you want to be, once you've decided what that is."

"You and me together," he whispered, weaving his hand into her hair, and pulling her forward onto his lips. _I love you so much! I can hardly believe you'll be mine forever soon._

_What do you mean soon, Timeboy? I already am,_ she replied, returning his kiss enthusiastically.

_Do you think we could get a little creative upstairs? I know we said we'd wait but… I have needs, Donna!_

_And I have a mother and grandfather sitting down here! Sorry, darling, but you'll have to hold that thought_. She chuckled at his answering groan of frustration. _Tomorrow IS Wednesday, remember; and I'm sure we can convince Gramps to go up the hill for a little while…_

_You are the most brilliant fiancée ever!_ he cried. _Now there's just the little problem of tonight._ He pushed at her exactly what the size of his problem was.

_My poor baby! You go on up, and I'll tiptoe up in a minute,_ she suggested.

They broke their embrace, and Benedict tried to surreptitiously make for his bedroom. Sylvia watched his guilty progress with a smirk. Then to add to her amusement, Donna rose from the settee, made some comment about taking up the clean towels and headed up the stairs. 'Who does she think she's kidding?' Sylvia wondered. She decided to give them twenty minutes before appearing to be nosey.

Benedict grabbed her as soon as she reached the landing, crushing her against his door as he ravished her mouth. _Not here! We can be heard here!_ she warned him; so he manoeuvred her into his room.

_What about here?_ he begged her. _We don't have to go all the way, but…_

_This?_ She tested his reaction; and got an answering happy groan. _Shush! No sound, remember?_

_Oh God! I love you!_ He panted heavily into her neck before planting large, grateful kisses there.

"Donna! Are you coming down for this tea?" Sylvia called up the stairs. She waited a few moments for the expected movement she heard. Aw, she was going to have so much romance to boast about to the Wednesday Girls!

* * *

><p>The following evening they went late night shopping to pick him out a new suit. "Are you sure we can afford this, Donna?" Benedict asked anxiously.<p>

She smiled back confidently at him. "Of course I am! If you look the part you'll soon be earning the money to cover it; and it's a major investment, so stop worrying. You handsome devil, you!"

He blushed with delight as she ran her hands over his chest, feeling her rising anticipation as she did so. "Do you think the house is empty yet?" he near whispered.

She gave him a suggestive eyebrow waggle. "Let's go find out!"

As they walked along Donna suddenly commented, "I could have sworn I heard Martha's voice then."

Benedict halted and sniffed the air. Yes, there was a trace of Time Lord; which meant they were in danger of upsetting the timelines. "Donna, I think we'd better get out of here, just in case…," he started to say, hoping against hope it was the Doctor during his time with Martha as his sole companion.

"It's okay, Benny," Donna tried to soothe him. "I know the rules of this game," she reminded him. Her voice deliberately dropped in tone as she added, "And anyway, I have a hot date with a sexy and gorgeous man to rush home for."

That caught his attention and forced it back onto normal tracks. "Sexy and gorgeous?" he echoed, grinning broadly at her. "Who would that be then?"

She swept a seductive finger across his chest, gauging his interest as she did so, before trailing it up his throat and onto his plump bottom lip. "Only the man I plan to ravish tonight, if you fancy joining me for a little bedroom activity." She then deliberately ghosted her lips against his, letting him sense her growing interest in him. "Just for the record, it isn't the national bed-making championships."

"Is there any chance of the bed becoming very unmade?" he whispered into her ear, keen to keep her body pressed close to his. "As that sounds like a lot of fun."

"Fun, and possibly a house that's empty; what more could we want?" she wondered.

The urge to kiss her was irresistible. "Then what are we standing about here for? We have some fun waiting for us," he murmured, before making the decision to break free and drag her off home.

High above them, on a separate level of the shopping centre, the Doctor stood leaning against the handrail, watching them intensely. It wasn't often he ran into himself these days; and it was never a good thing. He tended to argue with himself for a start! But to see himself with Donna Noble was extremely interesting; in fact he would have thought such a thing was impossible considering what happened when they had met. Hmm. Not only would she be with him, but it looked like she would _be_ with him. It looked like he was going to get lucky in more than one way, and the thought of that gladdened his hearts. He'd looked really happy with her. Perhaps she would be his salvation? At least it was something to look forward to…

* * *

><p>All the lights were on when they arrived home, but there was no sign of Wilf and the kettle had only some residual heat. "Looks like Gramps has gone up the hill early," Donna commented. "Time for bed, said Zebedee."<p>

Benedict's face lit up with delight and held out his hand in invitation. "Your room or mine?"

She made a scoffing noise at him. "Depends if you want a single or a double bed."

He growled at her in return, and dragged her hastily up the stairs and into her bedroom. Shutting the door just in case, they lunged at each other, kissing desperately whilst removing clothing. There was a bit of frustration caused by shirt cuffs that wouldn't undo, and a clasp that refused to comply to an expert touch. "Wait! Shouldn't we stick to our wedding night, like we planned," Donna suggested hesitantly.

"Donna! Are you trying to kill me off before I even get to taste your body properly? Please don't do this to me!" he begged. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I'll wait if you want me to; you know I will, but it's mean to get me this far… that's all," he crooned. He brought his mouth even closer to say, "You were willing to wait a hundred years for me once and I'd willingly do the same for you. As it is I only have a week. I can do that; I think."

"A whole week?" She wriggled against him, revelling in the firm skin flush with hers. "Is that all? That's hardly any time in the scheme of things," she murmured, bringing her lips up to meet his. _We're practically married all ready_, she reasoned.

_And you're no virgin bride,_ he argued. _Ow! You didn't have to hit me! If anybody's the virgin around here it's me! _

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that, princess! Because what happened between us totally didn't count!_ she huffed angrily at him.

_If it counts, why are we bothering to wait?_ he reasoned. _I'm willing and able, you're covered protection-wise, we have the house all to ourselves for a few hours; oh and… there's the little matter of me being desperately in love with you._

_Good point, Holmes. I could get to like you very much!_

_Only like? I was hoping for more than that in the loving stakes…_ He pulled back from their embrace to look her in the eyes. "What's the verdict?" he asked softly.

"I'd say love conquers all, but I need you to show me," she breathily replied.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Sorry for the long wait (only a year...!), but my muse has been elsewhere. But I am posting this today in order to wish **develish1** a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Previously:<em>**

_"I'd say love conquers all, but I need you to show me," she breathily replied._

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3<strong>

.

And show her he did! She had never had such a tender lover before; he was so considerate and attended to every wish she could possibly make. It seemed ridiculous that they had waited so long for this to happen properly; but they had both decided the moment had to be just right, without rushing or fear of being caught.

"Donna, I'd hate to disappoint you in any way, but have I convinced you that I love you?" he pensively asked when he eventually collapsed on her; completely sated for the time being.

"Benny, you could never disappoint me less than you do right now." She grinned encouragingly as she smoothed her hands down his back. "But if you want to top this, why don't you marry me?"

"I can arrange that in a week's time, if you've got a couple of spare hours," he joked.

"For you I'd provide a whole lifetime," she promised, and kissed him deeply.

* * *

><p>At that precise point in linear time, the Doctor had returned to the TARDIS alone, and feeling very lonely as he pushed open the door. Flinging his overcoat onto its usual resting place, on a stanchion, he turned to punch in the dematerialising sequence that would take him into the vortex. The TARDIS groaned at him in warning, and flashed up an image of Martha holding a large green umbrella. The Doctor was puzzled as he peered at the picture until a faint memory began to trickle through. "Ah yes! I remember that day. Who would have ever thought umbrellas could be the death of an Englishman during a rainstorm?" he reminisced. "We were led to that shopping mall that opened a few years after Martha's timeline. Probably nearer to when she ended up marrying Mickey, now that I think about it. Why are you showing me that? Unless…" He thought on that day more carefully, running through the events sequentially.<p>

Just then the TARDIS wafted up the scent of a particular perfume to permeate the room. The effect was immediate, and the Doctor's mood sank down to his boots. "That's Donna's favourite perfume; the one she wore when she wanted to impress someone. The first time I ever smelt it was as I stood by the railings… Of course! She was in the shopping centre that day with me. But I never took her there during our time together. How did I see her there like that, with her arms around me and…"

The memory of that sighting bit hard into his hearts. It had happened before the year that never was had rewritten so much of what he wanted to think about; but that memory had kept him hopeful, had made him ponder on happy times to be in his own future. He remained hopeful even when the Master had invaded his mind and stole that happy thought, using it to taunt him especially during one extremely upsetting piece of destruction. No, he had shut away so many things that were linked to that memory, most of it being death and torture.

But the memory existed and it was possible now that everything had been reset. At least, he had thought it was possible. Logic said that Donna had walked through that shopping mall with a version of him; 'a version' being the operative phrase. If you eliminated the probable that only leaves the improbable; so that left the other version of him who was currently in the alternative universe. He was there, wasn't he?

The Doctor began to frantically scan London on the date that the marauding umbrellas happened, and found to his deepest concern an anomaly. The Doctor drew in a shocked breath. "He was there! The blighter managed to jump from that universe and he was there!" And not only had the duplicate Doctor escaped his punishment exile, he had got himself a nice little position next to Donna Noble.

Bile rose in his throat and threatened to choke the very life from his body as the full story worked itself out in his mind. His counterpart had i_his_/i Donna when he had been denied ever seeing her again! The injustice, the all-encompassing rage that brought knocked him sideways; and he beat his chest in fury. "NO! Argh! This isn't fair! She was supposed to spend her forever with me, not him! I gave him to Rose. Why wasn't he satisfied with that?! Well, he won't get away with it! I shall stop him if it's the last thing I ever do!" he yelled out.

Where would it be best to land? Should he storm straight into Donna's home or should he get back-up from Jack first? Jack would have some decent restraints he could use to punish the escapee, and no doubt a thoroughly useful cell to dump him in for the time being. His plan didn't go much further than that, unfortunately. All he knew was that he _had_ to get Donna away from his counterpart; the question of why never entered his head.

* * *

><p>Benny clasped Donna close to his chest as they lay on the bed snuggled up together. For some reason he hadn't slept for long after making love. Although he wanted to give himself points for lasting long enough to make love three times before sleep had overcome him. From what Donna had said, three times wasn't exactly usual for human men.<p>

Too many thoughts wanted to taunt him. Most of them centred on what the Doctor would think if he could see them in that moment. In particular, would the Doctor dare to try and split them up? Even now, having consummated their relationship? And how much of his motivation in getting Donna into bed had been to claim and retain her?

There was no two ways about it. He probably was being a prat. The wedding was only a few days away; that was no time at all until they were permanently legally joined for ever. So why did he feel so guilty?

* * *

><p>He stepped out of his taxi, paid the driver with a generous tip and anxiously adjusted his sleeves and lapels as he waited for Donna to appear. It was as he checked his double carnation was sitting properly in his buttonhole for the fourth time that a familiar voice called out to him.<p>

"Doctor?! Is that you?" she cried.

He turned his head to look across the road, and there stood Martha Jones. A broad grin of recognition spread across his face, and he waved back. "Hello Martha! How lovely to see you!"

Warily checking both ways, Martha made her way across the road to join him. "You're wearing a different suit. Is it new?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. Do you like it?" he asked as he flicked off some invisible lint off his shoulder.

"And you're wearing a buttonhole. Since when did you wear a flower?" Martha couldn't help wondering; along with the question as to why he hadn't greeted her with a hug. Did the flower have something to do with it?

"What's wrong with the flower?" he defensively asked. "It's quite normal to wear one when you're at a wedding."

It was then that Martha realised that they were standing outside the local registry office. "It looks nice on you. Whose wedding is it?"

"Mine," he answered before his brain kicked in to stop him. "Oh please don't tell anyone else," he instantly begged. "We wanted it to be all hush hush."

"Why?" she inevitably asked. "You're not marrying some famous pop singer, are you?"

"No, not that sort of famous," he vaguely answered.

But Martha continued to glare at him expectantly. She couldn't understand why he was being so cagey. After all, it wasn't as though she'd stand up and demand it was her he was marrying; not anymore, anyway. "Come on… tell me! Who am I going to blab to?"

One particular name sprang to mind that he wanted well away from things. "Okay, but promise me you won't say anything to anyone until after the ceremony."

"Cross my heart and hope to die!" she cheerfully vowed, adding in the appropriate gesture.

"It's erm…" He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Donna Noble."

"No!" Martha blurted out her shock, and stood stunned at the news.

"Benny! Get your act together!" Sylvia's loud command could be heard easily over the sound of the traffic.

Benedict raised his head away from Martha and called back, "Won't be a minute!"

He rushed off without even thinking about Martha left standing there on the pavement. His attention was on Sylvia and keeping in her good books.

"What are you playing at chatting up young women just before your wedding?" Sylvia chastised him as he reached her side.

"I wasn't! I was…," he started to explain; but Sylvia grabbed his arm and dragged him in through the massive main doors.

"Keep your excuses for later. Donna will be here any second," she could be heard to say to him as they disappeared into the building.

Martha instantly pulled out her phone and dialled Jack's number. When he answered, Martha immediately began her declaration. "You'll never guess who I've just met outside the registry office, about to go in and get married. You can't? The Doctor, that's who! I saw him standing here as large as life. And get this; he is marrying Donna! I know! I can hardly believe it myself. You have got to get yourself here as quickly as possible before it's all over. See you then. Bye!"

With a gleeful sigh, Martha shut her phone, put it back in her pocket, pushed through the impressive doors and headed into the building to see if she could catch a glimpse of the wedding party inside.

It was a cavernous foyer, full of marbled fittings. A brief glance at the notice board told her that the wedding was probably taking place in a room at the top of the marble staircase, so she ran up to seek her prey.

As she reached the top step, her mobile went off in her pocket, and she quickly drew out her phone to answer the call. "Jack? What's the problem?" she asked her caller. "What do you mean it's not the Doctor? You called him… and he's what? Okay… I'll see you any second now," she said into the device, and waited expectantly for something or someone to appear.

There was a babble of voices on the stairs behind her, and then Donna arrived; looking stunning in a close-fitting ivory dress and jacket ensemble with a matching hat. "Martha?" she queried as she reached the landing. "Have you come to the wedding?" she asked cheerfully in disbelief. "My you are a sight for sore eyes!"

Within seconds Martha found herself being hugged, and she eagerly hugged back. "And it's good to see you, Donna. How are you?" she wondered.

"Oh, you know. I thought I'd hang about here for a while and see if I could bag myself a good-looking husband," Donna joked, and playfully nudged Martha. "If I had known you were around and available I would have invited you myself. We're in Room 2."

"Congratulations," Martha enthused. "So… you're marrying the Doctor. Is it deliberate this time, or have you hatched a plan to overthrow something?"

Donna gawped back at her. "Do you not know? It's definitely deliberate."

"No, really; why are you both here?" Martha asked again, not believing her for a second.

"I'm getting married. Properly married. To the man I love." Donna stood panting as she fought her anger.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Wilf gently asked as he finally made it up the stairs. "Has something upset you? Did Benny have problems finding the place?"

"It's okay, Gramps. I've got this under control. Martha thinks this is just another escapade." Donna then threw Martha a glare. "But we know it's all true."

"What is it?" Sylvia demanded to know as she too appeared.

Donna huffed loudly. "Oh this is all I need!"

"He's in there waiting for you. Why are you playing about out here?" Sylvia grumbled.

"Why? I have no idea," Donna snapped back. "Let's go in. You can come if you like, Martha."

Martha tried to hold in her indignant protest as Donna swept passed her and headed in to the room beyond.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I've been told there is angst in this bit. Surely not?! ;D

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<strong>

.

As Benedict entered Room 2 he was in quite good spirits; and he let his thoughts wander to what they'd be doing that evening. The house would be totally theirs for two whole days, and he and Donna would be free to roam in any state of dress that he fancied; not that he was planning to wear many clothes. Definitely not in the circumstances!

Part of his plan was to make love with Donna wherever and whenever the mood would take him, which would be quite often judging by his present fantasies. Perhaps it had been a good idea that he had stayed at Suzette's the night before the wedding, because his excitement had made him keen to start fulfilling those fantasies straight away. Especially the one where he got to rip off Donna's new ivory wedding underwear using his bare teeth. The set that he had personally chosen because it had delicate lace with small matching bows, and the bra was strapless with a push up structural system that made those delicious breasts of hers look ultra-tasty. In fact he planned to consummate their marriage with her still wearing all of that as he nipped at her flesh and pulled her down onto his firm body…

It was then that he was brought out of his quiet musings by the frustrated fidgeting of the wedding guests to the side of him; and he realised that the ceremony was already three minutes late.

Benedict stood pensively in the marriage room. Where was she? He knew Donna was keen to marry him; they'd been through the arrangements time and time again, so she should have been standing by his side at least three hundred and nineteen seconds ago. He shared a worried glance with Sylvia, who instantly got up from her seat next to Suzette and went to investigate.

As Sylvia opened the door he got a waft of Martha's scent. Had she really followed him in to the building? Could she still fancy him, even now, after all this time?! Surely not. It had been a mere coincidence that she had been on the other side of the road as he had clambered out of the taxi earlier. Yes, a sheer coincidence. Just like it was a sheer coincidence that she worked for Torchwood, had ready access to Jack, who knew the Doctor's phone number and was rampantly loyal, to the nth degree…

Almost immediately Benedict staggered as oxygen supplies to his feeble half human body faltered and he felt himself dissolve into a panic attack. The Doctor might know about the wedding by now. He could be standing outside… where Donna was walking up the staircase, right where he could easily see her and proposition her into joining him again!

A hand touched him, breaking his destructive meanderings.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Suzette asked him with concern. "Cos you really shouldn't," she continued compassionately when she saw his wild-eyed stare. "You and Donna are made for each other."

He felt himself calm as he sought to find an appropriate answer. "It isn't that. It's…" Benedict then desperately took hold of her hand. "Do you think Donna will actually turn up? Does she love me enough? Would she ditch me in the same way she jilted Lance? I'm better than him, aren't I? I treat her okay, I wouldn't feed her to some arachnid, and I came back all this way for her!"

Suzette smiled her friendliest smile. "Benny, Donna thinks the world of you. Everyone knows that! You've got nothing to worry about. She's probably been held up by traffic, or Wilf needs help up the stairs. I'm sure it's nothing worse than that."

"Do you think so?" he worriedly quizzed her.

"I know so," she confidently replied. "In fact…" Suzette looked towards the door. "I can see her now outside."

A broad relieved grin spread across his face as he noticed the door opening to let Sylvia back in and gained a peek at Donna. "Thank you," he happily sighed.

"Any time, love." Suzette gave his arm a pat, and quickly sat herself down. She knew that Sylvia would love to know about his last minute panic that Donna wouldn't turn up. Could this wedding get any more romantic?

* * *

><p>As soon she stepped inside the large airy room, Martha spotted who she thought to be the Doctor standing by the registrar. His face completely lit up as he saw Donna enter, and he raced forward in greeting; his eyes only interested in her.<p>

"Where have you been? I was getting worried," he whined, taking possessive hold of her hands and drawing her into the pre-set position to get married in.

"I met Martha outside," Donna answered, having calmed down a great deal as soon as he had taken a hold of her. "But I'm here now."

Martha was amazed that he didn't take his eyes off Donna once. Surely he would have been looking out for a possible alien attack if nothing else? She prepared herself to take mental notes for Jack as she waited for some sort of drama to play out.

"Is everybody here now?" the registrar asked the small group of people in front of her. Sylvia's friends making up the Wednesday Girls all nodded their agreement that everyone necessary was present. "Then we'll begin. We are here today to celebrate the joining together of Benedict and Donna…"

A short welcoming speech was made; and then the legally required question of whether anyone knew of any just reason why this marriage should not take place. Martha looked round, expecting some alien creature to burst into the room; but to her surprise nothing like that happened at all. Disappointed did not cover her emotion in that moment; but she remained hopeful that some suspected plot would suddenly arise.

Well, almost nothing happened, until the registrar asked Benedict to state his own vows and then repeat the proper response. It was extremely touching, how Benedict went on about searching for Donna to complete and fulfil his life. Martha almost believed he meant it.

The following vows made by Donna were equally expressive about how he completed her life, had saved her sanity and was the focus of her being. Martha thought it was a step too far in this charade to appear convincing with this wedding, despite the romantic ideal it set up. If she hadn't known any better she would have been totally convinced by their show of mutual love. As it was, she was waiting for something to blow up.

The drama was added to by both the Benedict and Donna eagerly leaning forward to pick up a fancy pen as though they were about to sign the legal papers in front of the registrar; almost gaining a mark of ten out of ten from Martha. But the whole effect was spoilt by the sound of what she knew to be the TARDIS materialising somewhere nearby.

About time too!

She had expected Jack to creep into the room; what she saw was the Doctor storm in, closely followed by Jack hot on his heels.

"STOP THE WEDDING!" the Doctor angrily yelled as he marched in. "This cannot take place!"

"What?" An instant hubbub started up among the witnesses, but Martha could only concentrate on one thing at that moment. She was seeing double, and she wondered if this was yet another one of the Doctor's cheap tricks; until she saw Jack's face.

Jack looked mortified, as though he dearly wished to be anywhere else but here; like the owner of an aggressively attacking dog.

"No no no no! You can't do this to me!" Benedict protested as the Doctor bore angrily down on him. "This isn't fair!"

"What's _he_ doing here?" Sylvia sneered in pure disgust as she grasped Wilf's arm in shock.

"Fair?!" the Doctor cried, ignoring the existence of Sylvia and her outburst, and remaining focused on dealing with Benedict. "Fair would be you staying exactly where I left you instead of leaping across dimensions to get to here."

"Why couldn't I? I don't remember you complaining or punishing Rose for doing so. In fact she practically got a welcoming committee!" Benedict blazed, standing almost nose to nose with the Doctor in his fury.

"What?!" the Doctor spluttered. "If you think…" There was a finger tapping on his shoulder; but he batted it away, so the finger tapped harder. "What? What do you want….? Oh… Donna…!"

He then stood gawping at her irate face as he tried to figure out how to  
>a) placate Donna, and<br>b) how to stop her from thumping him one, hard.

"Have you finished ruining our wedding?" she asked through gritted teeth. "And if you dare answer me by saying 'what?' I shall slap you into next week."

"You can't marry him, Donna. Seriously you can't," the Doctor declared, spreading his hands wide to denote the situation. "This is ridiculous!"

There was a loud interrupting cough from the front of the room. "Excuse me, but you have missed your legal chance to protest against this marriage," the registrar pointed out during the glaring competition that followed.

"Yes. Bugger off, Doctor!" Benedict ordered him. "Please carry on," he pleasantly said to the registrar when he turned towards her, "and excuse my brother, but he's having some sort of brainstorm."

"If you would excuse us just for one moment," the Doctor added equally pleasantly to the registrar. "We need to talk!" he spat out at Donna and grabbed hold of her wrist.

"There's a room to your right if you wish to use it," the registrar helpfully called out as they began to move away.

Both men flashed her a broad smile in gratitude.

"Come on, Donna," the Doctor ordered her, and hoisted her protesting body into his arms.

"Oi! Where do you think you're taking her?" Benedict angrily followed the Doctor into the side room; and the door slammed shut behind them.

"Donna?" Sylvia faintly whimpered her concern.

Martha stood staring at Jack. "What was all that about?" she demanded to know.

Jack combed his fingers through his short hair and considered what had just happened. "Honestly? I have no idea," he confessed. "But he wasn't pleased."

* * *

><p>All the noise from outside in the registry office marriage room melted away inside the confines of the registrar's private chamber. The thick wooden panelled walls formed a natural cocoon of quiet around the three of them. Shame the internal conversations going on were not equally as quiet.<p>

"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Donna wanted to know. "I take it that you aren't after some sort of threesome; or have I walked accidentally into a porno plot?"

Benedict immediately smirked at the naughty thought. Not that he fancied sharing her or anything; although if she wanted to introduce a female friend at a much later date to spice up their life... Right, he forced himself to concentrate on the drama in hand.

The Doctor seethed as the last words Donna said hit his attention. "Porno? What has he been getting you to do? As for a threesome..." A deep blush appeared on his face. "I erm..."

Why did she have to bring that up now, of all times? As it was, he was having difficulty keeping his eyes away from the swell of her breasts as they sat so enticingly within the confines of the tightly bound bodice of her dress. And he hadn't noticed the splattering of freckles that led down to uncharted flesh at all; not to his knowledge... At least, not in the last few seconds or so.

Benedict's eyes narrowed angrily as he noticed the Doctor's area of focus, and he stepped deliberately closer to be as menacing as possible.

Donna clicked her fingers in the Doctor's face. "Oi! I'm up here, Time boy! I want an explanation out of you."

This was followed by an inevitable sniff as self-control was sought. "This wedding is a sham. It cannot take place!" the Doctor demanded arrogantly.

"Oh no! You can't get away with this!" Benedict insisted. "This is _our_ life you are interfering in."

"I think you'll find it isn't!" the Doctor contradicted.

"Oh yeah? Then watch me do this…" Benedict took hold of Donna, swept her backwards within his embrace, and kissed her soundly.

She felt herself swoon before she realised what he was up to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

.

Fighting to stand upright, Donna slapped Benedict clean around the face. "You numpty! Stop treating me like a piece of meat!" she raged. "This is not claiming first dibs on me!"

Benedict nursed his offended cheek and his bruised ego. "But Donna, darling, you're my wife now," he whined, giving her the full kicked puppy eyes.

She turned on the Doctor; fury etched on her features. "I want to know why you think it is okay to come barging in here, ruining my wedding, and telling all and sundry that it is ridiculous that I marry him."

The Doctor took a precautionary step back from her raised hand. "It's like this…," he nervously began. "He wasn't supposed to be here; he was exiled to the alternate universe."

"Yes I know that bit. I was there!" she reminded him. "I was also heavily under the influence of your mind otherwise I would have told you repeatedly why it was such a bloody stupid idea!"

"Why…?" he started to ask.

"Why?! Lord give me strength. It was MY fault he existed in the form he did, it was YOUR fault you were shot in such an idiotic way, YOU decided you couldn't regenerate completely and I admit that you had a point, to a certain extent. But let me get this straight, Rose risked eternal extensive damage by jumping across the dimensions despite you telling her it was not to be done, Martha threatened to nuke the whole planet to blow it to smithereens, Jack and Sarah were going to blow everything up using a warp star," she raged as she prodded him in the chest with her index finger. "But get this, Benny saves EVERYONE in the known universes from the Daleks and HE gets exiled as his reward!" She couldn't hold in her anger any longer, and she let rip with a furious slap across his face. "Where is the justice in that?! Come on; I really want to know!"

The Doctor staggered back dramatically, holding his jaw in shock, and tried to give Benedict a conspiratorial glance.

Benedict threw the Doctor a smug 'nah nah de nah' look. "I'd like to know too," he added.

"Because… he committed genocide," the Doctor retorted.

"And so did I!" she spat back. "I killed the Pyrovilles, remember? There is nothing different in what we did, in order to save Earth." Her voice then softened, to hurt tones. "Is that why you wiped my memory, of you and all that we did? I was being punished, put in exile away from you and everything else I loved."

A sob wrenched its way out through his throat. "That's not true! I did it to save your life. You would have died, Donna."

She shook her head in sadness. "I don't believe you," she stated. "All I needed was Benny to stay with me to keep me stable. He proved it by coming back when you abandoned me."

Grief oozed from him. "I didn't abandon you. I couldn't bear the thought of you in pain; so I made the sacrifice of giving you back a life, but without me."

Donna sniffed back her tears whilst trying to wipe them away with the backs of her hands. "No, you walked away; just like you always do. I thought you loved Rose but you even fled from her, so what chance did I have?"

As Benedict nodded his agreement, the Doctor asked, "What do you mean? Of course you had a chance."

Her disbelief was all too evident. "Do be serious! Since when have you loved me, like in proper non-mates love?"

"Since forever," the Doctor murmured, "or what feels like it but is really from the moment we laughed as we rode together on the Segways."

"Now you're just taking the piss out of me." She frowned at him.

"Let me prove it," he begged, and pulled her to him. In milliseconds his lips were on her mouth, causing the most wonderful sensations to pulse through her body. Immediately she opened up to him, and he plundered her soft flesh.

"Whoa! What are you playing at?!" Benedict yelled as he thrust his body between the two of them and forced them apart. "That's my wife you've got your mitts all over. Let go!"

Donna stood panting and stunned. What had just happened? "Did you just….?" she asked as she brought her fingertips up to touch her lips.

"Yes he bloody did!" Benedict loudly complained. "Do you want a fat lip to go with your battered cheek, you arsehole?"

"You aren't completely married yet," the Doctor smugly pointed out.

"Listen here," Benedict threatened as he grabbed the Doctor by the lapels and brought them nose to nose. "All we've got to do is sign the book. Everything is done and legal."

"But… that means…" The Doctor looked totally lost for a second.

"Why is the fact we are married such a big deal with you? I don't understand," Donna admitted. "What difference does it make to you?"

When the Doctor didn't, or wouldn't, answer Benedict supplied the information as he released his tight hold. "He can't have you, love; you are now mine. It's the rules we live by."

"But he didn't want me," she insisted, alternating her gaze between the two men. "The only man who's ever truly loved and wanted me is you."

Benedict couldn't stop himself from drawing her into his embrace to offer comfort. "Yes, I love and want you, with all my heart. I came across the dimensions to find you and offer you my very soul. Donna, I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere other than by your side," he sincerely explained.

She still found it hard to believe that this wonderful man could say such beautiful things and mean them. "I don't want anyone else but you," she replied. "Not now, not ever."

"Then stay with me," he whispered, ghosting his breath across her lips. "Let me love you, please."

"Always," she promised; and kissed him.

They clung together as the soft, tender kiss progressed to passionate and hungry.

_I love you so much_, he weaved into her mind. _I was worried you would run off and leave me._

_Why would I want to do that?! You numpty!_ She huffed her indignation at him; and was pleased when he chuckled back._ I could never leave you now; I mean, I ask you!_

_Because someone else would have you in a blink of an eye if you let him_

Now that was news to her sensibilities. Okay, perhaps it wasn't a complete surprise after what had just happened; but she still had the knee jerk reaction of denying it, even if she rather liked the idea.

_Donna, I know how you feel about him; I've always known_, Benedict reluctantly admitted.

_I'm sorry, Benny, darling,_ she fretfully confessed. _It doesn't mean I love you any less._

_I know._ He mentally shrugged. _I just wish you didn't love him, that's all._

_You silly sod_, she fondly chastised him. _Talking of the Doctor, is he still watching us?_

_No, he left us alone when we started this_, Benedict informed her.

They broke apart to find they had advanced to dry humping each other on top of the desk in the room.

"Why does this sort of thing always end up with us in a compromising position?" Donna wondered, as she hastily stood up and smoothed down her dress.

Benedict tried to pretend that his suit was completely covering everything it should as he checked the buttons were all done up. "Perhaps we need more practise?" he suggested. When she raised a quizzical eyebrow, he added, "With the telepathy, the humping or actual sex; I'm not fussy."

Inevitably she swatted his arm. "We have guests outside, you tart!"

* * *

><p>To their surprise when they walked into the wedding room it was empty, apart from the Doctor lounging on a chair with his feet up another, and Jack stood apprehensively with Martha a couple of feet away.<p>

Benedict instantly asked them, "Where is everyone? Where did they go?"

The Doctor did his best to look nonchalant. "They went home."

"What do you mean?" Donna fumed at him. "Why did you send them away?"

The nonchalance started slipping. "They had better things to do."

Donna scowled. "Like what? They were supposed to help us celebrate our marriage."

"Didn't look like you needed anyone else to do that," he replied. "Not from where I was standing."

Ooh, that was more than a little bit jealous. Benedict knew the Doctor was covering his true feelings and wanted to suddenly rat him out. "Jack, what exactly did the Doctor tell you in order to get you here?"

Jack straightened, surprised they were finally noticing him. "That a catastrophic disaster was about to happen, that an alien criminal would have to be apprehended; a dangerous one. But all I've seen so far is you."

"I'm dangerous?" Benedict asked the Doctor in disbelief. "And catastrophic? How can a normal everyday event like a wedding be catastrophic?"

"Donna's first wedding was," he defended himself.

"Only because you almost died," Donna retorted. "That had consequences; absolutely terrible ones. I know because I saw them."

A stormy expression momentarily appeared on the Doctor's face. "Yes, and you died doing it whilst trying to save me! That's after someone ripped apart my TARDIS." He sat woefully regarding them.

"Same person as before," Benedict answered Jack's unspoken question. "It was part of the plan on her journey through the alternative universes."

"Leaving aside all that," Donna continued, avoiding dredging all that up for both Time Lords, "you owe these two an apology." She pointed to Jack and Martha.

"Why?" The Doctor indignantly glared at her and stood gracefully up.

"For telling them lies." Donna glared back. "You are cruising on your looks."

Benedict leant on a chair in glee, thoroughly enjoying Donna have a go at the Doctor,

"I'm what?! I've never cruised," he complained.

That didn't get him anywhere. "Yes you have. Now say it!"

He scrunched his face up in defiance. "Do I have to?" he whined. "Donna!"

Martha's hand shot over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Yes you do," Donna insisted, "or you don't get to ask your question."

"And we know you are dying to," Benedict interjected.

"Oh, alright," the Doctor huffed, like a petulant teenager. "Sorry." The two syllables were extended a lot further than a respectable Time Lord should have done.

"Well? Go on then. Ask," Donna encouraged him.

"I'm sure they have other things to do, places to go, that sort of thing, while we talk this through," he babbled on in avoidance.

"I know we do," Benedict considered.

That seemed to focus the Doctor's mind. "Yes, I'm sure you do," he coughed. "But not before a possible adventure... Perhaps?" He looked hopefully at them.

"It's up to you, my love," Benedict answered Donna's questioning gaze. "Where you go, I go."

"Then that's final," she said decisively. "I stay with you," she said as she reached out to take Benedict's hand. The Doctor's face fell instantly. "And with you, Spaceman," she added, taking hold of his hand.

He lit up like a Christmas tree. "You'll come? Both of you?"

They nodded. "We were meant to be among the stars."

The Doctor embraced them both. "Then let's begin right away. There's no time like the present."

Jack stood bewildered. "Was this all to get some new companions?" he wondered.

"No, we're family," Benedict gushed.

"Related by marriage..."

"And love," Benedict agreed as he briefly kissed Donna.

"Won't this be a bit awkward," Martha mused. "The two of you looking the same."

_Who is going to explain the setup we just agreed to?_ Benedict proposed.

_Not me, _Donna replied. _This is your one, Spaceman._

The Doctor grinned. "Oh we're very different to the right person. Shall we?" He gestured that they leave the room.

They let Jack and Martha lead the way out, but the Doctor kept a tight hold on Donna's hand as they walked.

_Let's keep this away from Jack for the time being,_ the Doctor suggested.

_Afraid of making him jealous?_ came the answering tease.

_No, I'm afraid of making you jealous,_ he teased back, and enjoyed the mental swat. Although he momentarily worried when he caught Donna's enquiry if Jack had his handcuffs on him...

* * *

><p><strong>The End<strong>... for now.


End file.
